Gaming has shifted in the past decade from an introverted, anti-social experience to the connected, social space that is modern online gaming. Its rapid evolution, however, has made it a difficult thing to define.

Online gaming is made up of different "types" of games and gamers, each with their overlapping benefits. If some of your fondest memories were made playing Duke Nukem 3D on the Total Entertainment Network, then you'll likely appreciate the competitive nature of online gaming. If your college roommates watched you devolve into some sort of Gollum-like creature after playing Ultima Online for 72 hours straight, then you're probably the hardcore type who wants to lose yourself in an online world (much like the siren's call of World of Warcraft). If you've been joyfully tending your acreage in FarmVille, then you're likely part of a new breed of casual gamers who just want a small but meaningful social diversion.

Regardless of how you classify yourself, you should take pride in saying, "I'm a gamer." So here are some of the coolest things in online gaming that have made us proud to be gamers this year:

1. Good Old Games

Unlike Steam, the massively backed game distribution platform created by Valve, Good Old Games is just a place to download DRM-free "good old games" on the cheap. To date, GOG.com has partnered with publishers like Activision, Codemasters, Epic Games, Ubisoft and others to bring some of the most nostalgia-inducing games straight to your PC.

Releases from Good Old Games are more like limited edition DVDs and include compliments like soundtracks, avatars and wallpapers. Couple this with cool community features and an incredibly engaged forum population, and you get a compelling social gaming experience.

The downside? GOG.com games currently work only on PC.

2. Minecraft

It’s well enough that in a little over a year, Minecraft has raked in $3.8 million through its unique online distribution model. But when your indie game gets a pair of back-to-back Penny Arcade comics devoted to it, you don’t need to check your bank account to know you're doing well.

If that got you interested, let me issue a word of caution: Minecraft is like a drug. It could ruin your life, but you’ll probably have some fun along the way. This sandbox game might not pack the prettiest graphics, but it allows gamers to control every aspect of the world by creating tools, homes and, of course, "mining." Gamers can create and destroy as they please.

What makes Minecraft a marvel of online gaming is the method in which it’s been developed. Despite having over 300,000 users, the game isn’t actually finished. Minecraft creator Markus "Notch" Persson is developing the game in the open. Rather than a final release, users can play the game as Persson tweaks, adds, or deletes game features in an organic way.

The Minecraft community is engaged in the creation of the game, making its actual development a social experience. Minecrafters respond to Persson’s proposed updates and modifications and actually influence the game trajectory. It’s an unprecedented model and it’s obviously paying off for Persson and his fans.

3. Star Craft II: Wings of Liberty - Battle.net

Perhaps the most hotly anticipated game of the decade, Star Craft II: Wings of Liberty had an almost impossible task: Living up to the Star Craft franchise. But Blizzard doesn’t mess around, and the game has been almost universally lauded for its efforts.

Now, the reason Wings of Liberty appears on this list is as controversial as it is an achievement in online gaming. Star Craft is the largest competitive gaming platform in the world. The game is considered a sort of national pastime in South Korea and even has a couple of TV channels devoted to it.

When Star Craft II was released, Blizzard opted not to include LAN play in the game. Since most professional tournaments are conducted via LAN, the decision has thrown the professional gaming community for a bit of a loop.

In order to accommodate all Star Craft II multiplayer games moving online, Blizzard completely revamped its premium online gaming community, Battle.net. While it might not be the best thing for pro-gaming, it gives gamers of any skill level the ability to find an appropriate match online at any hour of the day.

4. Steam

Steam is a platform for digital distribution, digital rights management and multiplayer, which means it hits most of the online gaming bases. Basically anyone who has played a PC game in the past 10 years has used it at one point or another. The reason it’s on this list is because 2010 saw the release of Steam for Mac. While OS X is a long way from being a gaming powerhouse, the addition of Steam was like an adrenaline shot to its gaming heart.

As mentioned above, Steam is a juggernaut of a gaming platform. Valve currently has partnerships with virtually every major developer or publishing house.

While there are plenty of casual gaming titles on Steam, the service has titles catering to every type of gamer. What’s more, Steam games don’t sell out and, except for rare circumstances where bandwidth is limited, the only waiting you'll have to do is for the download bar to hit 100%.

5. Quake Live

If you're looking to cause some carnage, Quake Live is as good a place to start as any. After building DOOM, id Software was one of the biggest rock stars of game development. The release of Quake in 1996 essentially created professional gaming, while its sequels, Quake 2 and Quake 3 Arena, were both major milestones in the first person shooter genre.

Quake Live is the latest installment to the series, and it's set its sights on online gaming. Quake Live is not a goofy flash game — it's a full, competitive platform contained entirely within a browser. What's amazing is that Quake Live is essentially an extension of Quake 3, a game that, in its day, required massive amounts of computing horsepower.

Quake Live is free for the standard version, while the premium and pro packages add additional features for $2 and $4 respectively. It's playable from modern browsers on PC, OS X and Linux.

What were your top gaming experiences from the past year? Were there any games that stood out as real gems in 2010? Let us know in the comments below, or better yet, nominate them for the Awards!

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)

In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

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Mashable Awards Partner:

Join us at the 2011 International CES®, the global platform for inspired ideas and innovation. With 2,500 exhibitors, CES continues to be the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow and always reflects the dynamic consumer electronics industry. The International CES is not open to the general public and all attendees must be in the CE industry to be eligible to attend the show. Register FREE for the 2011 CES with priority code MSHB, an exclusive promotion for Mashable Readers.

Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:

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